A powerful portrait of war and retribution. A beautiful story of love and forgiveness.

Paris 1944. Elise Chevalier knows what it is to love . . . and to hate. Her fiancé, a young French soldier, was killed by the German army at the Maginot Line. Living amongst the enemy, Elise must keep her rage buried deep within.

Sebastian Kleinhaus no longer recognizes himself. Forced to join the Third Reich and wear a uniform he despises, he longs for a way out. For someone, anyone, to be his salvation.

Brittany 1963. Reaching for the suitcase under her mother’s bed, eighteen-year-old Josephine Chevalier uncovers a secret that shakes her to the core. Determined to find the truth, she travels to Paris where she learns the story of a forbidden love as a city fought for its freedom. Of the last stolen hours before the first light of liberation. And of a betrayal so deep that it would irrevocably change the course of two young lives life forever.

'Wonderful... A heartbreaking story of the power of love and forgiveness' JILL MANSELL 'A tender yet thrilling story of love and family secrets in time of war' RACHEL HORE 'I was so engrossed. Wonderful, moving and uplifting' LESLEY PEARSE 'Love, loss, bravery... Ruth is an exceptional storyteller' ERICKA WALLER From the international bestselling author of WHILE PARIS SLEPT, a beautiful, heartwrenching and unforgettable novel of two people bound by love, torn apart by war and entwined forever by an extraordinary sacrifice. Paris 1944. Elise Chevalier knows what it is to love...and to hate. Her fiance, a young French soldier, was killed by the German army at the Maginot Line. Living amongst the enemy Elise must keep her rage buried deep within. Sebastian Kleinhaus no longer recognises himself. After four years spent fighting a war he doesn't believe in, wearing a uniform he despises, he longs for a way out. For something, someone, to be his salvation. Brittany 1963. Reaching for the suitcase under her mother's bed, eighteen-year-old Josephine Chevalier uncovers a secret that shakes her to the core. Determined to find the truth, she travels to Paris where she discovers the story of a dangerous love that grew as a city fought for its freedom. Of the last stolen hours before the first light of liberation. And of a betrayal so deep that it would irrevocably change the course of two young lives life for ever. 'From the moment I started reading this book I could not put it down ' REAL READER REVIEW 'An excellent read for fans of WW2 fiction ' REAL READER REVIEW 'A gripping story, well-written and about little-known events ' REAL READER REVIEW 'Outstandingly beautiful and brilliantly poignant ' REAL READER REVIEW 'I devoured the characters, marvelled at the storyline and really didn't want it to end ' REAL READER REVIEW 'This kept me captivated on every page' PRIMA MAGAZINE 'Poignant and evocative, this is historical wartime fiction at its finest' CULTUREFLY Acclaim for the unforgettable international bestseller WHILE PARIS SLEPT: 'You'll have your heart in your mouth and tears on your cheeks as it reaches its rich, life-affirming conclusion... Had me completely and utterly enraptured' LOUISE CANDLISH 'What a book... Emotional and heartrending...absolutely phenomenal. I was on tenterhooks throughout. A wonderful achievement' JILL MANSELL 'I absolutely loved it. Wonderful believable characters and it moved me to tears. Fabulous' LESLEY PEARSE 'A heartbreaking debut' JANET SKESLIEN CHARLES 'An amazing story of love, resilience and the human spirit' TRACY REES 'Brace yourself for a brilliant read. This will tug at your heartstrings' BEST 'Made me think and cry and rage and smile at mankind's capacity for both terrible, heartbreaking cruelty and beautiful, selfless love' NATASHA LESTER 'A gripping tale of love and sacrifice' WOMAN & HOME

War brings them together. Will liberation tear them apart? 'Wonderful... A heartbreaking story of the power of love and forgiveness' JILL MANSELL 'A tender, thrilling story of love and family secrets in time of war' RACHEL HORE 'I was so engrossed. A wonderful, moving, ultimately uplifting book' LESLEY PEARSE From the bestselling author of WHILE PARIS SLEPT, a powerful and beautiful story of two people bound by love, divided by war and entwined forever by sacrifice. Paris 1944. Elise Chevalier knows what it is to love...and to hate. Her fiance, a young French soldier, was killed by the German army at the Maginot Line. Living amongst the enemy Elise must keep her rage buried deep within. Sebastian Kleinhaus no longer recognises himself. After four years spent fighting a war he doesn't believe in, wearing a uniform he despises, he longs for a way out. For something, someone, to be his salvation. Brittany 1963. Reaching for the suitcase under her mother's bed, eighteen-year-old Josephine Chevalier uncovers a secret that shakes her to the core. Determined to find the truth, she travels to Paris where she discovers the story of a dangerous love that grew as a city fought for its freedom. Of the last stolen hours before the first light of liberation. And of a betrayal so deep that it would irrevocably change the course of two young lives for ever. 'Love, loss, bravery... Ruth is an exceptional storyteller, bringing the past back to life and shining a light in the darkness' ERICKA WALLER 'Kept me captivated on every page' PRIMA MAGAZINE 'From the moment I started reading, I could not put it down ' REAL READER REVIEW 'An excellent read for fans of WW2 fiction ' REAL READER REVIEW 'A gripping story, well-written and about little-known events ' REAL READER REVIEW 'Outstandingly beautiful and brilliantly poignant ' REAL READER REVIEW 'I devoured the characters, marvelled at the storyline and really didn't want it to end ' REAL READER REVIEW Acclaim for the unforgettable international bestseller WHILE PARIS SLEPT: 'A gripping tale of love and sacrifice' WOMAN & HOME 'You'll have your heart in your mouth and tears on your cheeks as it reaches its rich, life-affirming conclusion... Had me completely and utterly enraptured' LOUISE CANDLISH 'What a book... Emotional and heartrending...absolutely phenomenal. I was on tenterhooks throughout. A wonderful achievement' JILL MANSELL 'I absolutely loved it. An ingenious plot, wonderful believable characters and it moved me to tears. A fabulous read' LESLEY PEARSE 'A heartbreaking debut' JANET SKESLIEN CHARLES, AUTHOR OF THE PARIS LIBRARY 'An amazing story of love, resilience and the human spirit' TRACY REES 'Brace yourself for a brilliant read. This will tug at your heartstrings' BEST 'Made me think and cry and rage and smile at mankind's capacity for both terrible, heartbreaking cruelty and beautiful, selfless love' NATASHA LESTER

On a platform in occupied Paris, a mother whispers goodbye. It is the end. But also the beginning... 'What a book... Emotional and heartrending...absolutely phenomenal. I was on tenterhooks throughout. A wonderful achievement' JILL MANSELL *** THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER *** 'I absolutely loved it. An ingenious plot, wonderful believable characters and it moved me to tears. A fabulous read' LESLEY PEARSE 'An amazing story of love, resilience and the human spirit' TRACY REES 'You'll have your heart in your mouth and tears on your cheeks as it reaches its rich, life-affirming conclusion... Had me completely and utterly enraptured' LOUISE CANDLISH 'Brace yourself for a brilliant read. This will tug at your heartstrings' BEST 'Made me think and cry and rage and smile at mankind's capacity for both terrible, heartbreaking cruelty and beautiful, selfless love' NATASHA LESTER 'A heartbreaking debut' JANET SKESLIEN CHARLES, AUTHOR OF THE PARIS LIBRARY Paris 1944 A young woman's future is torn away in a heartbeat. Herded on to a train bound for Auschwitz, in an act of desperation she entrusts her most precious possession to a stranger. All she has left now is hope. Santa Cruz 1953 Jean-Luc thought he had left it all behind. The scar on his face a small price to pay for surviving the horrors of Nazi Occupation. Now, he has a new life in California, a family. He never expected the past to come knocking on his door. On a darkened platform, two destinies become entangled. Their choice will change the future in ways neither could have imagined... Beautiful. Powerful. Luminous. Unforgettable. A stunning portrait of the brutality of war and the tenacity of love. In the tradition of Virginia Baily's Early One Morning, M. L. Stedman's The Light Between Oceans and Heather Morris's The Tattooist of Auschwitz. 'Historical fiction fans, rejoice! A new voice has entered the arena and she's one to watch. A gripping tale of love and sacrifice. Perfectly paced and plotted, and evocatively written' Woman & Home 'A powerful and poignant debut from a brilliant and bold new novelist' Imogen Kealey, author of Liberation JUST SOME OF THE FIVE-STAR REAL READER REVIEWS FOR WHILE PARIS SLEPT... 'I loved this novel, I'm still crying. A truly beautiful book that captures the meaning of parental love in all its forms. I highly recommend this book to all my book groups. *****' 'A heartbreaking and emotional read based around WW2. Absolutely fantastic. I have no hesitation in giving this 5 stars *****' 'This book was beautiful - a book on love and courage demonstrated in different ways, showing that there is no one way to love or be brave. I was unable to stop reading *****' 'I loved While Paris Slept. I finished the novel with tears in my eyes. An uplifting novel and will be great for book clubs' *****' 'Wow, what an emotional rollercoaster of a read. The characters so believable. Highly recommend'